Wildlife and Fisheries Biology faculty conduct research at UVM laboratory facilities. In addition, the beautiful landscape of Vermont provides outdoor laboratories in forests and natural areas from the Green Mountains to Lake Champlain. A new hybrid electric research vessel, arriving in 2023, will get students, teachers, and researchers out on the lake. These facilities provide opportunities for students to learn and work with scientists and practitioners. Faculty research involves collaborations with partners such as the Vermont Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The Rubenstein School offers many other facilities and partnerships for learning and research.
Research Vessel
The Rubenstein School's research vessel runs from May through November on Lake Champlain. The vessel is used for research and teaching. All students in the Rubenstein School take at least one course that allows them to experience the lake from the research vessel.
Rubenstein Ecosystem Science Laboratory
The Rubenstein Ecosystem Science Laboratory is an extension of the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources and is located at the Leahy Center for Lake Champlain on the Burlington waterfront. The laboratory houses state-of-the-art research and teaching facilities, including laboratories for the study of water and sediment quality, contaminants, and aquatic biota including fish, invertebrates, and algae. The laboratory provides researchers with the tools necessary to investigate and understand the ecosystem processes that determine ecological health and influence the quality of life for the human community in the Lake Champlain basin.
University of Vermont Forests
The Rubenstein School manages four University of Vermont Forests throughout Vermont: Jericho Research Forest, Talcott Forest and Wolcott Research Forest in northern Vermont, and Washington Forest in central Vermont. The forests are used for research and educational activities that involve faculty, graduate students, and undergraduate students. Faculty bring students to the forests for field instruction in the Wildlife and Fisheries Biology undergraduate major.
University of Vermont Natural Areas
In addition to the UVM Forests, the University owns 10 natural areas throughout central and northern Vermont. From one thousand acres along the shoreline of Shelburne Pond to less than three acres at Redstone Quarry, from the lowlands of Colchester Bog to the summit of Mount Mansfield, Vermont's highest peak, the University of Vermont Natural Areas provide outstanding resources for teaching and research. Wildlife and Fisheries Biology students have the opportunity to visit many of the natural areas during their field coursework in the Rubenstein School.